I:2 Why cry for the moon? (Mattha Kundali)

Mattha Kundali was a young brahmin, whose father was very stingy
and never gave anything in charity. Even the gold ornaments for his only son were
made by himself to save payment for workmanship. When his son was suffering from
jaundice, no physician was consulted until it was too late. When he realised that
his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside to the verandah so that people
coming to his house would not see his possessions.

On that morning, the Buddha arising early from his deep meditation
of compassion, saw, in his Net of Knowledge, Mattha Kundali lying in the verandah.
So when entering Savatthi for almsfood with his disciples, the Buddha stood near
the door of Mattha Kundali's house. The Buddha sent forth a ray of light to attract
the attention of the youth, who was facing the interior of the house. The youth saw
the Buddha. He was very weak and he could only profess his faith but he thereby gained
some happiness. But that was enough. When he passed away with his heart in devotion
to the Buddha he was reborn in the Tavatimsa celestial world.

From his celestial abode he saw his father mourning over him at
the cemetery and appeared to the old man in the likeness of his old self. He told
his father about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa world and advised him to approach the
Buddha, offer alms and listen to the Buddha's sermon. The old man did as he was told
and after the sermon, the question was brought up as to whether one could be reborn
in a celestial world simply by mentally professing profound faith in the Buddha,
without practising charity or observing the moral precepts. So the Buddha willed
that Mattha Kundali should appear in person. Mattha Kundali appeared in his celestial
glory and told them about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa world. Only then did the listeners
become convinced that the young man had attained much glory by simply devoting his
mind to the Buddha.

At the end of the discourse, the old man realised the Dhamma and
donated most of his wealth to the cause of the Dhamma.